Anna liked Asil. And even if it made Brother Wolf crazy, Charles was not going to interfere with that unless he had to. When she was ready to hear about how much of a monster Asil could be, she could ask him. Or Da. But Charles expected that she wouldn’t.
She looked toward the tree-covered mountains, and they were worth looking at. “You know?” she said. “I have been wondering what I’m going to do with my life. But meeting some of the wildlings taught me something.”
“What’s that?” When he looked at her with his grandfather’s gift, he could see the connections that centered in her—connections from the horse, from the trees, from the mountains—and from him. She was so beautiful.
“I may not know, right now, what I want to do with my life. But I have a long time to figure it out. I decided—at the party actually—that learning some things is a great way to start. Before I came out to ride, I signed myself up for online classes.” She frowned at him. “Do you speak Japanese?”
Brother Wolf said, No.
Charles laughed at his wretched tone. Brother Wolf did not want to disappoint Anna.
A wolf’s cry echoed from the mountain behind their house—and before it died away, it was answered by many throats. They had not found prey, Charles could tell, just joy in the run.
“Hey, Pretty Lady,” he said, leaning forward. “Does that horse sidepass?”
She gave him a demure smile. “Maybe,” she said.
“Why don’t you try it?” he asked.
She stepped the gelding sideways until he stood next to the fence, and raised herself in her stirrups. Charles had to bend down some, because her gelding was really short, but it was worth it.
Kissing Anna was worth however much effort he had to make.
We will learn Japanese, said Brother Wolf.